Chiefs signing punter Matt Araiza

After the civil suit against him was withdrawn, Araiza finds a home in Kansas City. Tommy Townsend’s time with the Chiefs has likely come to an end.

The Kansas City Chiefs have signed free-agent punter Matt Araiza, as announced by his agency, JL Sports, which also included a statement.

“I am proud and honored to sign a contract with the Chiefs,” wrote Araiza via the post-thread. “I am thrilled to be able to continue my NFL career. I want to thank my family, who have been my rock and my many friends who have been unwavering in their support. I am excited to begin the next phase of my career with the Super Bowl Champs!”

Araiza’s name should sound familiar due to the off-the-field situation that has transpired over the past year and a half.

The 23-year-old was initially taken in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills, only to be released by Buffalo in late August due to his connection to a rape allegation and civil lawsuit stemming from an alleged incident that occurred during his college football days at San Diego State University. The civil lawsuit was eventually withdrawn in mid-December.

The Associated Press later outlined why the civil suit against Araiza was withdrawn.

After a monthlong police investigation, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office announced in December that it would not file criminal charges. Several media outlets obtained an audio recording of a meeting between prosecutors and the woman in which deputy District Attorney Trisha Amador said she concluded, based on a witness statement, that Araiza “wasn’t even at the party anymore” when the alleged raping could have occurred and wasn’t visible in videos that were recovered.

At the time, Araiza remained optimistic that he would be afforded another opportunity. Nicknamed the “Punt God,” he set an NCAA single-season record by averaging 51.2 yards per attempt during the 2021 season. He was a winner of the Ray Guy Award (nation’s top punter) and was a first-team All-American.

The Chiefs’ punter of the past four years, Tommy Townsend, is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the start of the new year. A first-team All-Pro in 2022, Townsend notably hired Drew Rosenhaus last offseason. He is a two-time Super Bowl champion (2022, 2023).

All the signs point to the end of Townsend’s tenure with the Chiefs — and the beginning of Araiza’s.